초록 ▼

A hand held dental instrument for curing light-curable compounds comprises a housing and an array of solid state, light emitting junctions or dies for generating light having wavelengths within a narrow band of wavelengths (e.g. 400-500 nm). Preferably, a peak wavelength of 470 nm is generated. The

A hand held dental instrument for curing light-curable compounds comprises a housing and an array of solid state, light emitting junctions or dies for generating light having wavelengths within a narrow band of wavelengths (e.g. 400-500 nm). Preferably, a peak wavelength of 470 nm is generated. The device further comprises an optical fiber light pipe for capturing the light and transmitting a beam of the light to a work surface containing a light-curable compound. An optical lens or lenses may be used for focusing the light into the light pipe.

대표청구항 ▼

[What is claimed is:] [1.]a light-curable dental compound adapted to be located in the mouth of a patient, the compound being curable with light of a specified wavelength;a hand-held dental instrument including a housing with an operator grippable section and a light emitting section, the light emit

[What is claimed is:] [1.]a light-curable dental compound adapted to be located in the mouth of a patient, the compound being curable with light of a specified wavelength;a hand-held dental instrument including a housing with an operator grippable section and a light emitting section, the light emitting section configured for being positionable within the mouth of a patient proximate the light-curable compound;a plurality of individual solid state, unpackaged, light-emitting dies, the dies being individually mounted on a substrate supported by the housing to form a collective array on said substrate in the housing, the individual dies each being a semiconductor junction free of an integral package and lens, the array of dies operable for collectively emitting light having wavelengths within a narrow band of wavelengths, said narrow band of wavelengths including said specified wavelength at which the light-curable dental compound is curable;said substrate having electrically conductive elements positioned thereon, said individual dies each being electrically coupled to at least one of said elements for coupling to a power supply to illuminate the dies;a heat sink coupled to the substrate for dissipating heat from the array;a forced air device for directing air to the heat sink for further heat dissipation;a light transmitting device for capturing said light from the array of dies and transmitting a beam of the light out of the housing to the dental compound;whereby the beam may be used to cure the light-curable dental compound in the mouth of a patient.